Stabilizer for gasoline



Patented Oct. 8, 1935 STABILIZER FOR GASOLINE John Wesley Orelup, Summit, N. J.

No Drawing. Application September 16, 1931, Serial No. 563,226

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to stabilizers for gasoline. The demand for motor fuels of high anti-knock value has led gasoline manufacturers to crack oil into gasolines while employing comparatively high temperatures which has the effect of increasing the anti-knock value of the product. At the same time the formation of gum producing substances is also increased, it being noted that such substances are originally present in the gasoline not as gums, but as substances which produce gum in the gasoline upon standing or when used in an internal combustion engine.

The use of various substances in the nature of negative catalysts has previously been proposed, but to the best of my knowledge these are of limited effectiveness, and moreover, can be used only on gasolines which have been refined in a certain way as, for example, many negative catalysts proposed are quite ineffective upon gasolines refined by a so-called doctor solution (sodium plumbite).

I have now discovered that various members of the anthraquinone series are highly effective as negative catalysts for the purpose specified, such substances falling in the class of leuco anthraquinones. I have further discovered that among the leuco compounds those having added oxygen containing radicals are particularly effective. For example, I have found leuco-chinizarian, which is 1.4 dihydroxy anthraquinone, to .be highly effective when used in quantities from two ounces to. one pound per tank car of ordinary cracked gasoline (ten'thousand gallons).

Other examplesof compounds which I have found to be effective are anthrol, which is leuco anthraquinone (an example of the class which may be termed non-oxy anthraquinones), leuco purpurin, leuco alizarine blue w. r. and other leuco polyoxy anthraquinones.

In incorporating the stabilizers in the gasoline it is desirable that this be done as soon as possible after the gasoline leaves the still, since otherwise the gum forming constituents will have undergone some activity toward gum formation before the stabilizer is added. In incorporating the stabilizer it may be added directly to the gasoline, or, if desired, may be first dissolved in 5 a small quantity of benzol and the solution then added to the gasoline.

In general I have found that the stabilizing power appears partially connected with the power of these compounds to absorb oxygen under 0011- 10 ditions existing in the gasoline.

A further advantage of the use of the leuco anthraquinone compounds for the stated purpose is that such compounds are only faintly colored whereby it is possible to use, along with the gas- 15 oline stabilizers mentioned, an anthraquinone color, such for example as is described in the reissue patent to Isermann et al. No. 16,937. This combination of the stabilizer and coloring compound is of particular advantage in that the sta- 2O bilizer prevents the gum from forming and thus spoiling the appearance of the dyed gasoline while the coloring material serves to mask the slight color possessed by the cracked gasoline of the character described. I

By leuco anthraqui'nones I mean those compounds which are related to the corresponding anthraquinones by having a hydrogen atom added to at least one of the ketonic oxygens of the anthraquinones.

I claim:

1. In combination with a cracked, high compression motor fuel of the gasoline type, a small quantity of a stabilizer soluble therein consisting of a leuco anthraquinone compound having added hydroxyl radicals at positions other than the 9,10 or quinone carbons.

' 2. In combination with a cracked, high compression motor fuel of the gasoline type, a small quantity of a stabilizer soluble therein consisting 40 of leuco-chinizarian. JOHN WESLEY ORELUP. 

